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If you want to get back to work after a break, here’s the ultimate guide to return to work programs in India from tech, finance or health sectors - for women just like you!
Last week, I was having a conversation with a friend related to personal financial planning and she shared how she had had fleeting thoughts about joining work but she was apprehensive to take the plunge. She was unaware of return to work programs available in India.
She had taken a 3-year long career break due to child care and the disconnect from the job arena that she spoke about is something several women in the same situation will relate to.
More often than not, women take a break from their careers to devote time to their kids because we still do not have a strong eco-system in place that can support new mothers, even though things are gradually changing on this front.
Other common reasons why they stop working are marriage, caregiving for their family members or health reasons of their own.
Rebooting their career after a gap due to any of these reasons can be extremely challenging because getting over the mental barriers to take the first step itself is unnerving.
With self-doubts and industry changes, it may seem like starting something new altogether. But empathetic handholding and systematic guidance can help women restart their careers with aplomb.
The good news is that various companies are identifying the need for well-designed return-to-work programs for women. These programs focus on upskilling, providing mentorship to understand changes and scaling up women to their previous job roles.
Many of the return-to-work programs for women are remunerated, and they help with new job opportunities and skill development.
However, there are a few things women can focus on when they are planning to return to work.
Building Confidence: While it is natural for women to feel unsure and jittery about rebooting their careers after a break, it helps to acknowledge that there are others too sailing in the same boat.
It is important to be open about the gap and the reasons for it while talking to the employers and other professionals. Try to focus on how you have grown as a person during the break and use it to give yourself the much-needed pep talk before interviews.
Resume Writing: Do not use your old resume while applying for jobs because some of your skills could be outdated in the current industry scenario. Spend some time researching the skillsets currently in demand and mention them in your resume accordingly.
If possible, use a format that highlights your credentials over the timeline. Also, indicate any relevant achievements from the career gap period in your resume. It could be something new you learnt or a course you undertook. If needed, you can hire professional services to create a resume that aptly reflects your potential.
Upskilling: Do your homework and find out the gaps in your skills and knowledge concerning your job role. Dedicate time and effort to enhancing your skills, be it soft skills or technical skills.
You can also complete a useful certification or you can try to connect with folks from the industry to gain an insight into the current processes and systems.
LinkedIn is a great place to join such user groups where you can learn a lot and get acquainted with a whole lot of things. Doing all this will ensure you are much better prepared to face interviews and re-enter the market.
Here are 16 return-to-work programs for women in India in the tech, finance & health sectors.
Career Reboot for Women by Accenture is a great platform to restart your career. It streamlines the transition to a new role within the organization with customized learning interventions over six months.
Through this program, they aim to equip women with skills/tips to overcome many changes by providing the career guidance they need from expert mentors. This program is carefully curated to help women develop their roadmaps for successful careers and fulfilling lives.
You can check the program here.
Cognizant Returnship Program is a 12-week paid experience for technology professionals with a minimum of 5 years of prior professional working experience and at least 2 years of a career break.
The program focuses on updating skills and getting women involved with real-time projects using cutting edge tools and technology. At the end of the program, the candidate is also considered for a position at the organization.
More details can be found here.
Next Innings is a unique return-to-work program for women in India in which selected candidates to work on core technologies in Google Cloud and have a chance to contribute to the various services on Google Cloud. They can learn from the experts in the area and experience product development at Google.
It is a paid programme of 6 months and can be done in Bangalore and Hyderabad. Minimum 3 years of relevant experience and at least a break of 6 months is required to be able to join this program.
For more details click here.
Now that you’ve read so far, we have 13 more RTW programs for women just like you. To know more about these programs, register with us by clicking here & unlock a treasure trove meant just for successful women like you!
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Some time ago, Imtiaz Ali and Hansal Mehta respectively spoke of biopics of Madhubala and Meena Kumari. But do these biopics do justice to these women?
I recently came across a Reddit thread that discussed the fact that filmmaker Imtiaz Ali had announced making a biopic of Madhubala, and I wanted to explore this a little.
Of late, biopics based on the lives of beautiful but fatefully tragic women such as Lady Diana and Marilyn Monroe have created waves. Closer at home, we hear about the possibilities of biopics being made on the lives of Meena Kumari and Madhubala as well. These were hugely famous, stunningly beautiful women who were the heartthrobs of millions; who died tragically young.
I am glad that the Orange Flower Awards seek self-nomination. High achieving women often suffer from self-doubt, and this is a good way to remind us that we are good enough.
A few days ago, I saw an Instagram post announcing the Orange Flower Awards which recognise the power of women’s voices. I read about it with curiosity, but didn’t give it a second thought.
I received an e mail from Women’s Web seeking self-nominations for the Orange Flower Awards, and I ignored it. Yes, I write occasionally, but I didn’t think my work was good enough for me to nominate myself in any of the categories.
A past winner especially tagged me and asked me to look at nominating myself, and I told her that I was not ready yet. “That is up to you”, she said, “but I think you should nominate yourself.”
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